NASCAR Daytona 500 2013

Race day:
At 9 laps to go, 2 Brad Keselowski running in first place with tape and damage on the front, debris brings out the yellow. Number 48 Jimmie Johnson leads on the restart to run to the finish line in first place. Patrick takes the white flag in 3rd place on the high line, but a line of cars develops on the low side and moves her back to an 8th place at the checker. Highest place finish for a female driver to date and a top 10 place for Patrick on her first Daytona race with NASCAR.
Image Credit: NASCAR

RECAP:
Jeff Burton with 24 laps to go has right tire problems and hits the wall bring out the 5th yellow flag.

On the 33 lap Kasey Kahne’s car starts drifting out of line near the front of the 2 wide pack and sets up a crash that sends 8 cars out including Tony Stewart.

Danica Patrick sets herself into first place coming out of a green flag pit stop and leads her first Daytona lap on lap 90. First female to lead Daytona.

The number 2 car of Brad Keselowski drifts out of line and set up the 4th caution.

February 23,2013

Crash in final laps at NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway injured fans in stands. No early word if this will effect the 500 mile race on Sunday.

NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway: February 23,2013.

From early reports: On the 116th lap of the 120-lap Drive4COPD 300 of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race Regan Smith tries a block and is spun to the right causing the usual reaction in the closely following field of cars.

Kyle Larson's car became airborne and ripped into the start-finish line catch fence, the spin ended in a 11-car crash bringing out the red flag, .

It is being reported that a tire came over the fence, and a lot of debris made it into the stands, and reports of safety crews working on at least five people in the stands, including four who were strapped to backboards. Also reports of at least two people injured in the upper deck, where another safety crew moved in with an additional two stretchers.

Driver Michael Annett was sent to a nearby hospital due to an earlier crash. Kyle Larson was not hurt.

After the crash a shaken Carl Edwards said: "NASCAR just puts us in this box, and we'll race like this until we kill somebody, and then they'll change it. I'm glad the car didn't go up in the grandstands. I don't know if I could live with myself if I ended up in the grandstands."

Tony Stewart won the race by avoiding the crashing cars. Stewart was shaken by the events and after the race stated,
"We've always known since racing was started this was a dangerous sport, but we assume that risk, and it's hard when the fans get caught up in it," he said from Victory Lane. "So as much as we want to celebrate now and as much as this is a big deal to us, I'm more worried about the drivers and the fans in the stands right now, because I could see it all in the mirror, and it didn't look good from where I was at, either."

Danica Patrick
lays down a hot lap of 196.434 mph and becomes the first woman to gain the Pole Position in the Daytona 500. Danica is running as a rookie.

The second place, outside of the pole position on the front row, is Jeff Gordon who ran a lap of 196.292 in another Chevrolet.

Danica's team owner Tony Stewart, who went out first, posted only a 195.925 lap.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Daytona 500, at Daytona Beach, Florida is this February 23-24 and is run on the famed Daytona International Speedway home of the Daytona 24 Hours on the high banked track.
Image Credit: NASCAR

NASCAR has been losing race fan attendance since the gas prices have made traveling long distances way too expensive. The NASCAR big shots even tried removing their rules on driver behavior and even suggested that they could visibly display their displeasure of other drivers in the pits in an effort to create fan interest and bring them back to the track.

Another move that was made was a new car designed to keep all drivers side-by-side on the track, allowing more high-speed drama.

There was also one more noticeable thing, the wooing of Danica Patrick away from the INDY car series where Danica has made some great accomplishments on the track.

After a season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and a short series of preparation races Danica has raised her battle flag over the Daytona Raceway and placed her car on the pole position. It is 500 miles of door-to-door racing with a field of bump and push hard-core drivers so now we will see if the fast woman in the fast car can say out in front of 43 hungry men.

Image Credit: NASCAR

Danica Patrick sets herself into first place coming out of a green flag pit stop and leads her first Daytona lap on lap 90. First female to lead Daytona.